Bahrain minister denies posts 'hijacked'

Manama, May 11, 2011

Claims that senior posts at a Bahrain government ministry had been hijacked by a political opposition group have been denied.

Municipalities and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi appeared in parliament to refute the allegation, which had been made by Al Asala MP Abdulhaleem Murad.

Murad suggested the ministry deserved to be in the Guinness World Records for its promotion policy.

'An employee with a secondary school certificate has risen 10 grades in eight years, while a director gets promoted to executive rank four and then gets three grades on the same day as a gift,' he told the minister.

'You are so generous sir, considering that your splash of promotions didn't end there - with another director being promoted to executive rank three and after three months getting executive rank grade four.

'I have been told by the Civil Service Bureau that it should take a year for promotions and here I see you giving them without any consideration to employment standards.

'That's not all, as everyone knows your favoritism towards members of a certain political group, which most of those getting promoted are members of.'

It is understood he was referring to political society Al Wefaq, but Dr Al Ka'abi denied the claim and said Murad had twice been invited to visit the ministry to check for himself, but he had refused.

'Employment policies in the ministry are clear and since 2009 I have established special committees that comprise representatives from the Civil Service Bureau to assess applications,' said Dr Al Ka'abi.

'All employments have been done according to criteria since and, as a minister, I am always looking for the best possible candidates to fill a void.

'In regard to the promotion of a municipality employee, who only has a secondary school certificate, this man has been working in his job for 24 years and doesn't require any credentials to be promoted to chief.

'As said by the bureau, I have every right to promote employees the way I feel is suitable and acceptable and there are cases where employees are given ranks, but deserve higher, and things had to be corrected.'-TradeArabia News Service